Night Seeker

Chapter 2

By the time we got back to the warehouse, I’d managed to regain some of my composure. We made sure we hadn’t been followed as we pulled into the parking lot and drove around the back, parking behind an old school bus that had long ago seen better days.

I cut the engine and leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief. As much as I longed for the Veil House, this was more familiar to me-living on the run, hiding in abandoned buildings, keeping one eye open as I slept. Maybe I wasn’t cut out for a normal life. Maybe I was destined for life on the wing.

As we carried our loot to the back entrance that Kaylin had cleverly hidden with a tangle of loose boards, a stack of old tires, and several abandoned vehicles, Peyton opened the door. She’d been on the watch for us and she took one of the bags from me, carrying it into the living quarters we’d quickly pulled together for ourselves.

The building had been a warehouse in better days, and the stark industrial walls were gunmetal gray, with beams and poles and odd little cubbyholes lining the inner chambers. Kaylin had been living here for a while before he’d invited us in, so we had jury-rigged electricity. He hadn’t wanted to draw attention by using too much, though, so for heat we were using a burn barrel. The warehouse was big enough, the ceilings high enough, and several windows were cracked and broken, so the smoke wasn’t much of a bother and it dissipated by the time it reached the outdoors. But it was cold and chilly and grim.

While we were gone, the rest of our little band-Peyton, Rhiannon, Luna, Chatter, and Grieve-had lined up several tables and now, we spread out the contents of our goods on them. Grieve moved over to my side and slid his arm around me. I caught my breath, this time in a good way.

“I was worried about you. I sensed…” He let his words drift off, but his gaze flickered to Lannan. “Are you all right?”

Nodding, I ducked my head. “I’m fine. There were a few tense moments, but everything’s okay.” I leaned in, feeling Lannan watching every move I made, and rested my mouth against Grieve’s soft lips. He pulled me to him and I lost myself in his touch, in his kiss. Grieve was my love, and no matter how my body responded to Lannan, my heart would forever belong to the Fae Prince with the shining stars in his eyes.

A slow warmth rose in my belly, his body felt right against my own, and I inhaled deeply, filling myself full with his scent. He smelled like autumn leaves and rain showers and danger and safety all rolled into one. His heart beat fast against my touch as I laid my hand on his chest. Grieve was alive, and he loved me.

“I want you,” I whispered, hungering to sneak off, to drive away the cold and the snow with his touch. But we couldn’t-not just yet. “I feel safe with you.”

“Later. I promise.” His words were so low that I was the only one who could hear him, but his touch pledged so much more than those words could express.

I nodded, not trusting myself to say more, and gently moved away. Everyone was looking at us, especially Lannan with his cold, dark stare, but I didn’t care. I cleared my throat and searched for what to say. Rhiannon gave me a pleading look and I nodded, knowing what she desperately wanted to hear. Time to get down to business.

“First-some good news. The Veil House isn’t nearly as far gone as we feared.”

Rhiannon let out a little cry and her fingers flew to her mouth. Chatter-Grieve’s friend and another of the Cambyra Fae-moved to rest his arm gently around her waist. I noticed the quick smile she flashed him. As I had thought. Leo had been her way of settling. She’d loved Chatter all along.

“Does it really still stand?” She leaned forward, breathless. “You aren’t joking?”

“I’d never joke about something like that. Oh, it’s definitely taken some heavy damage. The kitchen and basement will have to be rebuilt, but with work, we can restore it. However, that idea is on hold until we destroy Myst. We killed two of her Shadow Hunters while we were there.”

“I have another surprise.” Grieve held up his hand and dashed into a side room, returning after a few seconds with his arms full. “While you were gone, I scouted around this rambling monster of a building and found two space heaters. They’re good-sized.”

“Heat! Glorious heat!” Luna rubbed her hands together as Kaylin took them from him and plugged them in.

Grieve frowned. “I hope they still work. The burn barrel helps, but it doesn’t do much good over here by the table.”

Kaylin flipped the switch and bingo, a draft of air began to blow toward the table. The space heaters must have been used during power outages, because they were big enough to heat a small room. As the elements heated up, warm air began to take the edge off the biting chill. I smiled, and so did the others. There was nothing like heat to lift the spirits when the wind was howling at the door.

“Good job, man.” Kaylin clapped Grieve on the back. “I’ve lived here for quite a while and didn’t know about them.”

“I’ve a knack for finding things.” Grieve smiled then, and laughed. “I wish I could have gone with you today.”

“Yes, but the Veil House is so close to the Golden Wood, it would be too easy for Myst to latch onto you again. And this helps us so much more-we needed the heat.” I leaned in and kissed him soundly. My stomach rumbled. “First heat and now, I hope…food?” I looked at Luna. “Is there anything to eat?”

She nodded, and while Kaylin and Wrath sorted through what we’d brought back with us, Rhiannon and Luna set out a loaf of bread, some peanut butter, and a large packet of beef jerky. Rhiannon added a two-liter bottle of Coke, while Luna carried a large pot of chicken noodle soup over to the table. Peyton brought the mugs and plates.

I stared at the meal. Good. I could eat everything. I knew the soup was safe, and that was the only thing potentially a danger. I was deathly allergic to fish and carried an EpiPen wherever I went.

Luna shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry it’s not anything fancy, but…”

“Hey, it’s food. I ate out of Dumpsters when I was a kid, so this is a feast in comparison to some of the meals I’ve had. I’m not turning up my nose at anything on this table.”

The soda was cold and I chugged down two glasses before moving on to the bread and peanut butter. Grieve stared at the food, finally accepting a hank of the beef jerky and a plain piece of bread. My father sniffed the peanut butter and opted for the jerky and bread, too. Chatter decided to be adventurous and bit into a p.b. sandwich, his face taking on the look of a confused cat with peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth.

The soup was like those Lipton soups-mainly just noodles and broth-but it was hot and salty and filled that need for something warm in my belly.

After the gnaw of hunger faded, we began to sort through the bags, able to take off our jackets thanks to Grieve’s space heaters. I held up Heather’s journal. “I found this. We might be able to use it.”

Kaylin handed me a small bag and I stared at it, knowing exactly what was in there. “You found my magical tools.”

“I checked upstairs. It wasn’t all that dangerous. The steps were in no hurry to collapse under me. I think they’re still structurally sound. Anyway, yes-I found your magical tools. I also packed a bag with clothes for all four of you girls. I brought whatever seemed appropriate for our situation.” His dark eyes flashed with a glimmer of a smile and I found myself grateful he was on our side.

Peyton let out a delighted cry. “My cards-you found my tarot deck!”

Lannan chuckled. “I’ve seen gamblers less thrilled to see a deck of cards. Yes, I found your deck and thought you might be able to use it.” For a brief second, he sounded almost pleasant.

“We also have a bag full of herbs, along with some of the charms I made. I managed to grab a big bag of cat food, too, by the way. So somebody should go feed the cats. They’ll be glad for something other than the tuna we’ve been giving them.” Kaylin had laid in a large store of tuna, and out of deference to me, he’d moved it into the room we set up for the cats. I was willing to scoop the litter boxes, but I wasn’t about to take over feeding duties with fish on hand.

“Don’t bet on it,” Luna said. She rolled her eyes. “But that means…well…there’s tuna for those of us who can eat it. But we’ll save it for a last resort and I’ll warn you well in advance,” she added, turning to me. “I’ll make certain we keep your food away from anything that might have fish in it.”

That wasn’t terribly reassuring, given our circumstances, but I knew that if push came to shove, they’d need to eat whatever they could find.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” I glanced through the rest of the bags. “Good, somebody brought The Rise of the Indigo Court and The History of the Vampire Nation.” The words popped out before I realized that Lannan was standing right there. I jerked up my head. He was standing, arms crossed, head cocked to the side, one booted foot propped up on a chair. His leather pants shimmered in the dim light hanging over the table.

“So…you have a copy of our history. You know, not a terribly wise idea of you to advertise so in front of me.” He slowly lowered his foot to the ground and slid his hands in his pockets and sauntered toward me.

“I wouldn’t have, if I’d thought about it first.” My mouth had gotten me in trouble more than once.

Lannan backed me up to the wall, lifting the book out of my hands. He flipped through it, occasionally glancing at me. I had no idea how vampires read, considering their eyes were jet with no white, no gleam other than the sparkle that made them look like obsidian orbs. But read they did. And Lannan Altos was actually a professor at the New Forest Conservatory. I had the feeling he’d abused his authority far more than once.

Grieve let out a low growl and shifted into a wolf, shoving himself between the vampire and me. Peyton and Luna gasped. Wrath stiffened as Kaylin stepped forward. Lannan just stared at the beast with unblinking eyes.

I caught my breath. Grieve was really pissed. Anger wasn’t the only reason he took wolf form, but Lannan had pushed his buttons-his territorial instincts had been invaded. He stood his ground, forcing Lannan away from me, his gaze never leaving the vampire. I poised, ready to throw myself between the two. But then Wrath came to my rescue.

“Altos, put down the book. Leave it for now. Grieve-back away. The vampire will not hurt our Cicely tonight.” It was a command, not a question.

Lannan turned to my father, locking his gaze. After a moment, he shrugged and deliberately dropped the book on the floor at my feet. “No matter if you have it. We are not terribly vulnerable to your kind, so feel free to read it. If nothing else, perhaps you’ll learn why you should pay proper respect.”

He sauntered past Grieve, refusing to acknowledge him. Grieve shifted back, but I could feel my wolf tattoo still snuffling. Chatter reached out, touched Grieve on the arm and gave him a warning shake of the head. Grieve glowered and shook him off but did nothing.

Cambyra Fae were known as the shifting Fae. My father-Wrath-was an owl shifter, as was I, even though I was only a half-breed. Grieve could shift into wolf form, and Chatter could turn into a pillar of flame, I’d found out.

From the very beginning, when Krystal had dragged me away from the Veil House, I’d dreamed of a wolf following me, watching over me. When I was fourteen, I began to see him in the shadows, watching me, and I thought he might be a guardian of some sort. I still hadn’t known at that time that Grieve could take wolf form. A year later, Dane-my mother’s boyfriend of the month-and I got high one night while she was out turning tricks, and he tattooed my vision onto my stomach.

Dane had already given me three other tattoos. On my left breast, a feral Fae girl peeked through the leaves of a deadly nightshade plant. Both upper arms were banded with identical blackwork tats-a pair of owls flying over a silver moon, with a dagger piercing through it. And then he tattooed my wolf for me.

An ivy vine wove its way across my left thigh. Dappled with silver roses, it crossed my lower abs, extending to my ribs under my left arm. Interspersed among the roses was a trail of violet skulls, and right at my naval, a grayish silver wolf stared out at the world, his eyes emerald and glowing.

After that, I would feel the wolf shift and growl when danger was present. At times, when I was lonely, I talked to the tattoo, and it felt like the wolf was actually listening. And then, when I returned home for a brief visit a few months after getting my wolf tattoo, Grieve had met me out in the woods, and I realized that instead of trusting him like I had when I was a child, my heart had shifted, and at seventeen, I had grown up and was falling in love with the Fae Prince.

The Golden Wood was in full glory, trees thick with leaves, and the brambles were growing full with hard little berries that would burst with their rich black juice in August. The woodland smelled of sunlight and dust and lazy afternoons, and my feet were silent against the path leading through the clustered undergrowth that lined both sides of the trail.

Rhiannon opted to stay back at the house-she’d become reclusive, and I knew something had happened but she wouldn’t talk about it. All Heather would tell me was that there’d been an accident a couple of years back and Rhiannon wasn’t the same girl she had been. I wanted to ask my cousin about it-we’d always told each other everything-but whatever had happened this time seemed sacrosanct.

So one afternoon, late into the week Krystal had allowed me to visit, I wandered out to the wood where Rhiannon and I’d played as children. As I set foot on the path, the glimmer of sunlight swept me into a world far from the dirty streets of San Francisco, of L.A., of whatever city through which Krystal and I were currently prowling. They were all just names by now-one blurred into the next, and the one we’d just left was as indistinct as the one we were heading toward.

I stretched my arms wide, inhaling deeply. I’d been home the year before-my first time since Krystal dragged me off-and I’d cried when I’d had to leave. Rhiannon had been silent then, too, but I’d thought that she was just sulking over some argument with her mother.

It was during that visit that Grieve stepped out from behind a tree and I remembered all those long days of childhood, when he and Chatter had taught us magic, never straying out of decorum, never being anything but a safety net for us as I learned to speak with the wind and Rhiannon learned to harness the flames.

Letting my mind step onto the slipstream, I blew a low whistle, and whispered, Grieve, are you here? I’m home again. Come to me!

And a few moments later, the Fae Prince stepped out from behind a tall cedar. He was dressed in camouflage cargo pants, with no shirt, but I knew that his clothes were illusion. His platinum hair streamed down his shoulders, and his eyes glittered blue against the olive skin of his body. He was built, lean and muscled, and so alien he was exotic. Yet…alien as he was, Grieve was familiar to me.

“Cicely…I’ve been waiting for you.” His voice was strained. He wouldn’t stop staring at me and I began to feel exposed, raw. And then I noticed a box in his hand, wrapped with a ribbon.

“What’s that?” I pointed to the box.

Grieve stared at it for another moment, then silently handed me the box.

I stared at it. “A present?”

He leaned against a nearby tree, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I found this…I would have given it to you last time, but I misplaced it. You left it when…”

I opened it, pulling on the silk ribbon. The box was shaped like a wooden heart and my pulse began to race as I flipped open the hinged lid. Inside was a sparkling pendant. It was small-child-sized. A crystal butterfly that my aunt had given me on my fifth birthday. It was the only pretty thing I’d ever owned as a child, and when I realized I’d lost it, I’d been heartbroken.

I caught my breath. “I lost this-the day that my mother took me away from here. I thought it had disappeared forever.”

“I found it after you left and kept it safe. I knew you’d come home someday. Last year, it was hidden among my things and I couldn’t find it in time before you left again. But when it surfaced, I put it where I could grab it any time you called to me. I know how much you loved that necklace when you were little. I just wanted you to have it again. To have something to hold on to from your childhood.”

As I cradled the pendant next to my heart, I realized that I was also holding my breath. And in the next moment, I heard myself thinking, I love him. I’m in love with Grieve.

My wolf stirred, and it felt as if it were stretching, luxuriously, enjoying the sun as much as I was.

Grieve glanced at my stomach-I was wearing a crop-top-and a slow smile stole across his face. “You’re wearing my symbol. Cicely, you’re all grown up now. Since last year, you’ve become a woman.” His voice played across my heart as surely as if his fingers had stolen across my skin.

I shivered. “I had to grow up. I wanted to grow up.”

“Are you still with your mother?” His eyes flashed. I knew how he felt about Krystal, but he seldom said more about her than to ask if I was still in her care.

I nodded.

“No matter, then. Come, let us walk in the wood and you can tell me what you’ve been doing the past year.”

As he reached for my hand, I knew that if I gave it to him, I’d be lost. His voice set me spinning, and his scent was that of oat straw and apples and long grass after a cool rain. He watched me carefully and right then, I knew that he knew. He knew how I felt, and he was offering me more than his hand. He was offering me a chance at love, a chance for a life, a chance to belong to someone. He was offering me his heart.

I bit my lip, staring at his hand. The long thin fingers were delicate, and yet they could probably twist the head off an enemy. I knew that Grieve was volatile, but he’d always been just. And he played no games.

Do I dare? Do I dare take a chance on loving him? On letting him into my life? Can I ever have a life free of Krystal, free of the constant running? Do I dare choose love?

Ulean, who was sweeping along beside us, laughed, her voice tinkling on the slipstream. Dare you not?

And with that, I made my choice. As my fingers touched his, he enclosed them in his hand, then drew me to him.

“My Cicely. I will never hurt you.”

He tipped my chin up to look him in the face, and I lingered over his beauty. And then, slowly, my world came tumbling in on me as he leaned down and his lips pressed against mine. The fire built as I slid into his arms, reveling in the feel of someone who wanted to hold me, someone who wanted to love me, someone who would never let me go.

“I love you, Grieve. I’ve always loved you-first as a child and now…”

“I am a Prince. Someday, when you’re ready, you will become my Princess and rule by my side. Now that I have you back…” His voice trailed off and an odd look flashed through his eyes. “It’s been so long, so very long…I’ve waited for you to return to me for so long.”

“What do you mean? It’s only been a year.”

“No, so much longer than that.” But when I asked what he meant, he only shook his head as his mouth covered mine, pressing his hard, lean body against me as he drew me into the kiss. The world began to spin. The pact was made as I handed over my heart to Grieve that day. And I knew that I’d never be free-no matter whether I was three thousand miles away or in the next room, I belonged to Grieve. And he belonged to me.

As Lannan left the room, I glanced at Grieve.

He motioned to me. “I have something to show you. It won’t take long.” He held out his hand and I took it, as he led me through the room. The others went on cataloguing our finds.

“Lannan is an ass. Don’t let him goad you.”

“I’d like to run him through, but you won’t let me. But someday, I won’t be so congenial and the vampire will find himself subject to a stake in the heart. For now, however, I will accede to your wishes.” He led me to one of the doors near the back of the large room. “Close your eyes or I’ll have to blindfold them.”

Curious and cold, I obediently closed my eyes. I heard the door squeak open, and then Grieve led me through and the door squeaked again and closed. “We’re almost there,” he said. “Just a little bit farther.”

And then I smelled something-it smelled like vanilla. Grieve took both of my hands in his, holding them by the wrists. He leaned close and whispered, “Open your eyes.”

I blinked. We were standing in a small room and in its center was a claw-foot bathtub-it didn’t look hooked up to plumbing, but there it was, filled with steaming water, piled high with fragrant bubbles. The room was lit by a good twenty candles, all white, as the scent of vanilla and gardenia wafted through the air.

“How-where…?”

“While you were gone, I decided that you needed a hot bath to relax. I know you hate being stuck here, and I know how much the Veil House meant to you. And you do love your baths.” He pressed against my back, wrapping his arms around my waist as he nuzzled my neck. “The others know-we won’t be disturbed for a while.”

I sucked in a deep breath. As the fragrance of vanilla and gardenia washed over me, I couldn’t resist. I shed my clothes, shivering in the chill of the room. “You are the sweetest, most loving man I’ve ever known, Fae Prince or not.”

He smiled, looking satisfied. “I was hoping you’d let yourself enjoy this.”

“Are you kidding? Miss out on a bubble bath? With you, I hope?” And then I turned, pulling him to me by his collar. “Grieve, I love you. I hope you know just how much I love you.”

He took my hands in his and grazed them with his lips. “Trust me. I do, Cicely.”

“Join me?” I crawled into the big clawfoot tub, sinking into the water with a long sigh. Luxury-pure, simple luxury.

“In a moment. I have another surprise for you.”

He moved over out of the reach of the candlelight and I heard him tinkering with something as I leaned back in the tub, reveling in the delicious touch of the water on my skin. It felt like I was being cradled, rocked gently by the waves.

After a moment, Grieve returned, carrying a TV tray that he set next to the tub. It held a plate of Swirl-Delight Cupcakes, and a thermos of what smelled like peppermint tea.

“I’m sorry it’s nothing more than some junk food but…”

Grinning like a crazy woman, I wiped my hands on the towel next to the tub and grabbed a cupcake. “Are you nuts? These are golden! Now get in here.”

Grieve laughed, and just like that, he was naked. He crawled in the tub with me and sank back, a wicked smile on his face. “This is what I like. You and me in hot water together.” He shook his head. “How can you eat that? It’s nothing but sugar and fluff.”

“I like sugar and fluff.” I bit into the cupcake and closed my eyes. The next moment, I felt a hand under the water, rubbing my leg. “That feels so good. I just want to float here in the warm bubbles forever and forget the world outside.”

“I’m afraid we cannot do that, but for the moment, we can ignore the world.” And then he leaned forward between my legs, kissing me, pressing me back against the tub. The kiss went on and on, dizzying and deep and filled with his hunger.

Before I realized what we were doing, he slid inside me, moving slowly, the water rippling at our sides, splashing over the sides in little drips and drops. I closed my eyes, thrilling to our slow rhythm and the comforting scents and the candlelight.

“This night was not meant to be for sex,” he whispered. “This was meant to give you a rest. But I need you now. I need to be inside you.”

“Sex is okay.” I kissed his nose. “Sex is good, and sometimes sex in the tub is the best.” I popped another bite of the cupcake into my mouth. Feeling almost giddy, I laughed. “And sex and chocolate are really good.”

“Give me a bite.” Grieve’s starlit eyes flashed and his teeth shimmered in the dim light. He was dangerous and fierce yet…yet…he was my Grieve.

“I thought you didn’t like sugar and fluff,” I teased him, holding the cupcake just out of his reach.

“The sweeter the bite, the more delicate the blood.” And then he snapped at my fingers, playfully nibbling on them, drawing the cake into his mouth. A crumb stuck to the corner of his mouth and I moved forward, my gaze never leaving his, and licked it off. As I leaned back, with him still filling me full, he moaned and shifted, moving inside me, thrusting deeply.

I gasped, pushing against him, my clit rubbing against the base of his cock. “Don’t stop. Just keep going forever.”

“Sugar and fluff have their place, but Cicely, for you, I would give you black raspberries and honey, and rich, warm roast beef cooked rare and juicy. I would serve you beet soup, and rich cream puddings…” He nuzzled my neck. “And dress you in a silken gown, to wear under the moon, with a circlet of silver for your hair.”

I began to cry, so aware of him, so aware of us. “Will we ever get out of this mess? Will we ever make it out of the dark and the snow?”

Grieve paused, gently kissing away my tears. “I believe we will. I have to believe it. But Cicely, wherever we are, as long as we’re together, we live in the heart of Summer, where I am the prince and you are my princess.”

“I don’t need to be a princess. I just want to be your wife.” I rested my head on his shoulder, and he slowly began to move inside me again. We moved leisurely, without hurry, our breaths rising and falling with the ripples in the bath. Without warning, our passion flared and Grieve stared deep into my eyes as I came, crying out as my world expanded. Then, a moment later, Grieve moaned, his jaw clenched as he rode the wave. After he finished, he rested his head on my breast, and we stayed locked together, in our own private world, until the water cooled.

As Grieve helped me out of the tub and wrapped me in a thick towel, he slipped a box in my hand. “I have another gift for you, love.”

“More? The bath and cupcakes were wonderful.” I paused to look at the box. It was plain but held shut by a sparkling blue ribbon. “What is it?”

“Chatter hid it for me, and while you were out at the Veil House, he surprised me. When we escaped from Myst he managed to smuggle it out. Please, open it.”

I pulled on the ribbon and lifted the lid. There, on a velvet cushion, sat a necklace. A butterfly. Like my butterfly, only this one was sapphire and emerald and garnet-real stones, on a silver chain, gleaming lustrous in the candlelight.

“My butterfly-this is a copy of the butterfly necklace I had when I was little.” I looked up at him. “I still have it. You found it for me, and I’ve kept it hidden in Favonis since I bought the car. Safely tucked out of sight, where it can’t get lost.”

“That one was for your childhood, from your aunt. This is for your life as a woman. As my woman.” He gently lifted the necklace off of the pillow and draped it around my neck. “I still remember how much you loved that necklace.”

“How did you know I’d come back this time?” I gazed up at him, my eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“Lainule promised me that you would. And in my heart, I knew we couldn’t be forever separated. I felt you decide-through the wolf tattoo on your stomach.” He fastened the clasp around my neck and the pendant fell between my breasts. I tucked it under my shirt.

“Hey in there! We need to plan! Hurry it up!” A pounding on the door startled us.

“Coming.” I quickly dressed, then stopped Grieve before he opened the door. “I want you to know something. I love the necklace and love what it represents. But most of all, I love the gift you handed me in the Golden Wood. You gave me your heart-and that means more than anything ever will. I’ll never stomp on it, I’ll never abuse it.” I held the necklace close to my breasts, feeling it warm my soul.

“I can take almost any torture. But I can’t take the thought of life without you.” He kissed me lightly on the forehead, then touched the necklace beneath my shirt. “Wear this charm, and I’ll always be near you.”

Someone knocked on the door again.

Grieve gave me a wry smile. “I suppose we should get out there, but before we do, do you want the last cupcake?”

I stared at the snack cake. “Leave it. A charm that our future will be filled with cupcakes and fluff and the lightness of summer.”

As the last of the candles died down, leaving us in darkness, I opened the door. Clean, ready to plunge back into the battle, we returned to the main room.

Lannan was still there but about ready to leave to do whatever it was he intended to do. He watched every move we made as we reentered the room but said nothing and vanished around the corner.

Grieve glared after him, whispering, “I hate that he can make your body respond to him.”

“But my heart doesn’t. Bodies are…physical. I can’t help my reaction-he’s a vampire and I’ve drunk his blood. But my love for you is never tainted by his touch.”

“I hate that he can make you enjoy his attentions. I know that you can’t stand him and I would do anything to put an end to his attentions. But there’s nothing I can do to stop it except to kill him and you won’t allow me.”

“You can’t. Not yet. We need him, as much as I hate to admit it.” Lannan was a necessary evil at this point, and we all knew it-especially Lannan. Which meant he could be as cocky as he wanted and get away with it.

“As you wish. But if he hurts you, I will stake him, brutally and with as much pain as I can bring to bear. You belong to me. And no one can sever our bond.” Grieve pulled away, shoving his hands in his pockets. He began to pace. “I feel cooped up, trapped here. But if I go out, Myst will hunt me down.”

Luna, who had been standing back, watching but saying nothing, stepped forward. “You know that my sister is one of the Akazzani. Maybe she can help us? I told you, they have a lot of ancient texts. The Rise of the Indigo Court can’t be the only treatise written on the Vampiric Fae. There has to be more information hidden away in the vaults of the Society. Maybe…maybe there’s something about reversing the process, if you aren’t born into the Indigo Court?”

We turned to her. She was a pretty woman, shorter even than I was, and plump, with long dark hair gathered back in a sleek ponytail. Her eyes were the color of her hair, ringed with silver sparkles. Luna was a bard, one of the yummanii-human, but her magical powers were stronger than the average person, and her voice was like a melody scaling a mountain, crystal clear and ringing one moment, throaty and rich the next. Kaylin had been instantly drawn to her-I could see it in his demeanor, but I had no clue whether she felt the same way. Or if she even sensed his interest.

“Do you think there’s a possibility of finding something to change Grieve back?” It had not occurred to me that we might be able to reverse the process.

She shrugged. “I haven’t a clue, to be honest. But we can find out.”

“How would we go about doing that? I thought the Akazzani is supposed to be a closed society.” The thought of diving into those books, of perhaps gleaning far more than a cure for Grieve, lured me in. And what if we could find other vulnerabilities that we could exploit against the Indigo Court?

“Zoey is loyal to me. I know her oaths bind her, but if I tell her what’s at stake…” Luna pulled out her cell phone. “I should call her.”

“They allow cell phones in their midst?” Kaylin cocked his head, giving her an odd look. “Last I heard, secret societies at least tried to stay…well…secret.”

Luna snickered and blinked a flirty look at him. I didn’t even think she realized she was doing it. “This is the twenty-first century, not the 1900s. They not only allow cell phones, but they sanction occasional visits home, as long as the society member observes the rules. Zoey could sneak out the books and return them when we’re done. Books are to be used-information should flow rather than be locked up away from the world. Though Zoey’s the only member of my family I’d trust with the information about where we are and why.”

She paused, waiting for me to give her the go-ahead. I looked around. Kaylin nodded. Peyton and Rhiannon added their approval. My father remained silent. Lannan was out of the room.

Grieve slowly inclined his head. “I’m willing to chance it if she can find anything. I have to shake these bonds. I’m tired of feeling like my hands are tied.”

Majority ruled.

I turned back to Luna. “Go for it. Call her after we finish our meeting.” She nodded, sliding her phone into her pocket. I glanced around. “I guess we’d better haul Lannan’s ass back in here. We need everybody present because I want all the input that I can get. I have an idea, too.”

Lannan reluctantly joined us, looking bored. He stared at me, ignoring Grieve’s dirty glances. My father just shook his head and rubbed his brow. He gave me a look as if to say, You caused it, you fix it.

As we sat around the table, I looked at each one in turn. We all had our strengths, we all had our weaknesses. I wasn’t going to lie: The fact that Lainule was no longer on our team stung. The same with Anadey and Leo. They weren’t exactly enemies, but they had all betrayed us, in one way or another. So much had gone wrong, so fast.

“I think I know a way we can regain Lainule’s help. It’s dangerous, but in my opinion, it’s the only thing we can do. We need Summer’s help, and I don’t want to be the one dividing my father from the Queen of Rivers and Rushes.” I looked up at him. That little piece of guilt wasn’t going to go away.

“You are not the dividing line, my daughter. Lainule has her own mind and we’ve argued over many things throughout the years. This is simply one more squabble.” His eyes lit up. “The Queen of Summer has a temper as volatile as fire pouring from the sun. She embodies the flame. It is her nature.”

“Yeah, but I don’t like being on the wrong end of her torch. And we need her. We need her to give up on Geoffrey.”

Luna cocked her head to the side. “Why is she so desperate that she would be part of his plans?”

“Cicely knows why.” Wrath gave me a warning look.

I nodded. “If Myst finds Alissanya-Lainule’s heartstone-she can destroy the Queen of Rivers and Rushes. And with Myst controlling the woodland, she will find it. It’s only a matter of time. Lainule is a desperate woman, Summer Queen or not. She was hoping that Geoffrey would help her destroy Myst before that plays out.”

“What do you need from us?”

I sucked in a deep breath. “I want your opinion on this. I think, if we can recover Lainule’s heartstone, she will help us. She’s afraid now-if Myst finds it, she will die. If we find it, she will regain her strength.”

“You have no idea of the ramifications of what you’re proposing.” Wrath stared at me, slowly standing. “And you should not talk of this in public.” He grimaced. I’d never seen him look so irritated.

I glanced around. “What public? We’re about as far from public as we can get in this town.”

“You know what I mean-you speak in front of yummanii, magic-born, and worst of all-vampire.” He leaned forward and for a moment, I thought he was going to strike me, his expression was stern and terrible and piercing like the eyes of an owl. But all he did was take my chin in hand. “Daughter, even now, you trust too easily.”

I bit my lip. I hated making him upset. But we had to start trusting somewhere, and as bad as we’d been burned already, we only had our little ragtag group we’d managed to pull together.

“I know it’s dangerous, but we haven’t got a choice. Either Lainule fades and dies through lack of her heartstone, or we recover it and she lives. She can’t go after it. Her people can’t go after it. Your people.”

“What exactly is a heartstone?” Luna asked, glancing from Wrath to me.

I plunged ahead. My father was right to be wary, but we were running out of time. “It’s a part of Lainule’s essence, from her heart, encapsulated in a gem, deep within the Golden Wood. If Myst finds it, she can immediately destroy Lainule. The Queen of Rivers and Rushes is too far away from it and she’s fading. Unless we find it and take it to her, Lainule will die.”

Lannan let out a sharp bark. “You cannot let Summer die.”

Wrath turned to him. “What do you care, Altos?”

“If Lainule dies, then Myst has no checks. Geoffrey’s not going to be able to stop her, as much as he’d like to think he can. She will flow through, set up the long winter, destroy my people, and all others with us. I do not wish for that any more than you do, Owl King.” Lannan leaned forward. “I will help you, and I will keep your secret because it is for the good of my people to do so.”

Grieve reached for my hand and I gave it to him. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it gently, then lightly nipped the skin. “You are my chosen for a reason. But how do you plan to find where she’s hiding the gem?”

Chatter and I glanced at each other. I cleared my throat. “When Chatter and I journeyed to the Bat People, to help wake Kaylin’s demon, we went through a secret passageway. I’m pretty sure we were close. Instinct tells me Lainule may have hidden it down there. It looked like it hadn’t been used for a long, long time and…I sensed something in the area.”

Grieve nodded. “You could be right. The heartstones are sacrosanct, but we live in desperate times. I say we do it. Lainule was always aloof, but she was never a fool, and for her to link herself to Geoffrey in his mad scheme does not bode as normal for our Lady of Summer.”

Chatter cleared his throat. “I agree. We know where the passage is, we know how to get there. We must go in and search there carefully. If we journey by creeping through the forest, they shouldn’t see us and we’ll have the time to hunt for the gem.”

I turned to Wrath. “We have no choice. If we want Lainule on our side again, we have to bring her the strength to stand with us. Until then, she’s in Geoffrey’s pocket. And suppose he decides that since I won’t let him turn me, that he might try with Summer? Can you imagine what might happen if he turned Lainule? Surely she wouldn’t be as bestial as Myst, but there’s no guarantee she’d be sane.”

My father blanched. “I had not thought of that. Surely Geoffrey isn’t mad enough to try.” He paused, then sucked in a deep breath. “He is, isn’t he? He’s just crazed enough to attempt it.”

“I think he might be.” I bit my lip. I didn’t want to hurt my father or scare him but the thought had crossed my mind more than once and I was learning to pay attention to my instinct.

“Very well. We go in search of my Lady’s heartstone. I just hope Myst doesn’t catch us.” Wrath deflated, dropping to the chair next to me. “But then Myst is coming and will take us all unless we do whatever we can to stop her.”

Outside, the wind howled around the factory and I had the uneasy feeling we were being watched. The Shadow Hunters were on the prowl, and their Queen was driving the snows behind them.